by Lili Zander
Love. My heart skips a beat. They love me.
Nero bends my knees up. “Very pretty,” he says. Then his tongue swipes over my slit, a light, teasing stroke that has me whimpering in restless need. He kisses my clit, the tip of his tongue circling my engorged bundle of nerves. He licks it and sucks on it, alternating hard and soft strokes, building tension and then backing off until my hips buck and I’m writhing in desperation. His tongue circles my clit, flicking from left to right, up and down. At the same time, his fingers massage my folds.
Sensation overwhelms me. Saber’s fingers stretching my ass, Nero’s mouth on my pussy. Zeke’s lips on my nipples. My head thrashes from side to side. I’m so close.
They rip off the blindfold. I blink as my eyes adjust, and I see Nero’s body loom over mine. “Are you ours, Raven?” he asks, his voice serious.
“Always.”
I can smell the clean male smell of him. His biceps bulge as he holds himself over me. His dimple is close enough that I finally do what I’ve been dreaming about for days. I lick that delicious indentation, and from the sound of his sharply drawn breath, I’ve surprised him. Good.
His green eyes glitter wickedly. “I’m going to fuck you until your sweet little pussy clenches around my cock. You ready for us, love?”
He slams into me, and all thought flees my brain. I cling on to him. My nails dig into his flesh. Saber’s cock nudges my tight back hole, and I welcome it. I take Zeke’s length in my mouth.
They take me to the edge, over and over. They make me come more times than I can count. In the same breath, they tell me they’re going to fuck me so hard that I won’t be able to walk tomorrow, and they tell me that I’m precious to them. They spank my ass and kiss my flesh, and they tell me they adore me. The words that fall from their lips are reverent, and they are profane, and it is perfect.
My blood is fatal to them. For the first time, that thought doesn’t send a stab of pain through me. They love me, and I love them, and we will figure this out. Together.
25
Zeke
I feel every bit of Raven’s anger, her frustration, and her sadness. If anything, it just spurs me on. Everything we’re going through—our dead teammates in Rothis, the virus in Raven’s blood, the five thousand casualties in Deina, the missing boarium—all of that is because of one man’s quest for absolute power.
Everywhere we turn, we hit a wall, but each failure just makes me more determined to push through. We’re close. I can feel it. Somewhere, there is a key to this puzzle, and I will find it.
No matter how long it takes, I will beat Harek Levitan.
Time passes. I eschew sleep to work. Tomas shakes his head disapprovingly. “You need to get some rest.”
“It can wait. There’s an answer here. What are we missing?”
“I don’t know.” Tomas’ voice vibrates with frustration. “We’ve recreated Levitan’s movements for the last ten years. We’ve even pieced together when he went to Boarus 4. We’ve uncovered Marya Revit’s travel logs. We’ve searched everywhere.” He exhales in a long sigh. “We’ve hit a dead end. I don’t know where to go from here.”
We’re too close to the problem. We need to take a step back. “What else do we know? The General isn’t stupid. After Rothis, he knew Saber was looking for answers. He knows I’m hacking into his records. He knows Ragnar’s tracking his movements.”
“Where are you going with this?”
Something niggles in the back of my mind. “How did you find out that Patrik Kevis and Gerra Clay were plotting together? They would have taken precautions to avoid detection.”
“They knew their comms were monitored,” Tomas confirms. “They wouldn’t have said anything where they could have been overheard. So we had to approach this from another angle. There was a four-hour interval when their comms were switched off at the same time.”
That’s it. The missing key. Things click into place. It’s not the locations Levitan traveled to that we need to investigate. It’s the places he’s avoided.
“Bring up the Empire on the main screen.”
A two-dimensional map of the Shayde Empire flashes on the wall in front of us.
“Highlight every sector that the General has visited in the last ten years.”
Every sector lights up. Not a surprise. Harek Levitan sits on the Ruling Council of the Empire. He is the Regent to the Empress. Though he prefers to stay in Starra, travel is part of his job.
Tomas leans forward. “You’re joking. Could it really that simple?”
“Let’s find out.” Levitan wasn’t always obsessed with power. At the start, when he’d been appointed Regent, he’d had enough authority to keep him sated. It’s only in the last few years, as it’s become apparent that Astrid isn’t content to remain a figurehead, has he been searching for a way to cling onto power.
“Narrow the time frame. Highlight every sector Levitan’s visited in the last five years.”
One by one, the sectors light up. All except one.
The Chipwa Sector, home of both Patrik Kevis and Gerra Clay, stays stubbornly dark.
Shock jolts through me.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Tomas’ voice is awed. “Of course it’s the Chipwa Sector. It’s the thinnest spot in our spy network. Ragnar has done his best to respect the peace pact between the two families. Levitan would have known it’s the last place we’d look.” He stops talking. “Unless they’re working together?”
“I can’t see it.” I stare at the map, my mind working through the problem. “Levitan’s not looking to share power with anyone. Besides, he loathes Gerra Clay. He thinks she's reckless and impulsive and undisciplined. If he had his way, she'd be dead. He might have even tried a couple of subtle assassination attempts, but Clay knows how to take care of herself. No, he’s using the two councilors as a shield.”
Tomas’ fingers are already flying over his tablet. “The Chipwa sector is large. Let’s narrow it down. I want to know exactly where the boarium is.”
Five hours later, we have our answer. Raven’s asleep, and after the day she’s had, I don’t have the heart to wake her. I rouse Saber and Nero though—Merin doesn’t have a yellow sun, and we’re not badly affected by slumber—and brief them on our findings. Tomas places a call to Ragnar. “We’ve got news.”
The prince looks tired. His cheek is cut. He’s sporting a black eye, and when he lifts his hand to brush his hair back, I can see his knuckles are bleeding. “What happened to you?” Saber asks, raising an eyebrow. “Did we catch you at a bad time?”
“Just another set of assassins.” Ragnar’s eyes are dark. “This is getting annoying. Gerra and Patrik are trying my patience. As soon as we’re done in the Uncharted Reaches, I intend to make my displeasure clear.”
“You might not have to wait,” Tomas says. “Zeke found the boarium.”
“We both did,” I correct him. “Levitan has hidden it in the Chipwa Sector. Specifically, in Banrilia. We’ve narrowed the location down to three possible warehouses in the port city of Calder.”
Ragnar lets out a short burst of laughter. “Of course he did. Harek Levitan is a psychopath, but he’s also a fucking genius. If I attack Gerra, I’m in violation of the peace pact between Family Thorsson and Family Clay. He knows I avoid my dear cousin’s territory like the plague.” His eyes narrow. “Especially Banrilia.”
“You can’t send teams to Banrilia and still maintain the peace pact.”
“Fuck the pact,” Ragnar says succinctly. “For too long, Gerra has profited off my inability to attack her. She’s a monster. I made a promise to Raven that I would kill her, and I intend to keep it.” He lapses into thought and then looks at Saber. “Three simultaneous teams on the ground, do you think?”
Saber nods. “Yeah, that’s what I’d do. You’ll have two layers of security to get through. Clay’s defenses, of course, but Levitan won’t leave warehouses filled with boarium unguarded.”
“I’ll get the teams ready.” Th
e corner of Ragnar’s mouth tilts up. “You want to come and watch?”
“I’m game,” Nero says promptly. I look at Saber, who nods as well. “I’ll double-check with Raven, but yes. I think that’s a good idea. Raven could use the distraction.”
Ragnar’s expression sobers. “Yes, Dr. Karling sent me a message. How is she doing?”
Saber sighs. “How do you think?”
“We’re going to solve this. I give you my word. I will not rest until we find a cure.”
During the course of the week, Raven has told each of us the full details of her conversation with Ragnar. “I heard you’re interested in Raven.”
He looks wary. “Is that going to be a problem?”
“No.” The prince didn’t once hesitate to help the children on the Ruby Rose. He sent Ivar Karling to oversee Raven’s blood transfusion, even though the scientist was probably most useful working on a cure. If Raven wants him, then Ragnar’s earned his place in our bô. “Not at all.”
He nods slightly. “Thank you. And thank you for finding the missing boarium. You’ve given us a real shot at thwarting Levitan.” He turns to Cabal. “Tomas, you can join this mission remotely. I need you to escort Dr. Karling back to Starra first. He tells me he has a dozen new ideas for a cure, and I cannot risk something happening to him.”
“Got it.”
“I’ll see the rest of you soon.” He reels off a string of coordinates. “Brace yourselves. We’re going to war.”
26
Ragnar
I call Astrid once I’m done talking with Zeke and Tomas. She’s all dressed up. Her hair is pulled up into some kind of complicated arrangement that undoubtedly took her maids hours to create, and she’s wearing the Amuna Tiara, gleaming with moonstones and star-rubies. It’s early evening in Starra. She must be on her way out, and judging from the way she’s dressed, a night of fun isn’t in store for her. “I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?”
She sighs. “I’m about to spend five hours in the company of people I loathe. I could use some good news. Hit me with that first.”
“Zeke Ulrich, you know him?”
“The hacker in Saber’s company? Originally from Zola Prime, the only scion of Family Leyva? What? Stop looking so surprised. I read your reports.”
Say what you will about Astrid, but she does her homework. She might look like a vapid socialite, and when she wants to, she can play that part to perfection, but my sister is whip-smart and not to be underestimated.
Doesn’t mean I can’t needle her. “Nice to see that in the middle of balls and parties, you can summon some time for work.”
“Fuck you, Ragnar,” she says, making a rude gesture that has me grinning. “Tell you what. We’ll trade places. You attend this party, and I’ll play spy games.”
“Touché. No thanks. Zeke Ulrich and Tomas Cabal have narrowed the location of the missing boarium to one world.”
“Yes!” She jumps up and down in unrestrained joy. The tiara wobbles dangerously. “Where is it? I’m assuming you’re planning a retrieval mission? When?”
“That brings me to the bad news. It’s in Banrilia. The instant my troops land, the peace pact between Family Thorsson and Family Clay gets shredded.” I give her an amused smile. “You are the titular head of Family Thorsson, Astrid. I’m formally requesting permission to break the pact.”
She doesn’t hesitate for a second. “Granted.”
“Thank you.”
She laughs. “No worries. Oh, and Ragnar? I really want to meet this woman for whom you’ll kill Gerra.”
My mouth falls open. “How in the name of…?”
A smile of pure pleasure spreads over my sister’s face. “You have your sources, I have mine. Raven sounds nice. Bring her to Starra soon. Or, even better, set up the meeting somewhere else. I’m sick to death of the capital.”
27
Raven
The Valiant needs to be refueled. We need warmer clothing for our destination. The next few hours are a chaotic scramble, and then we’re in the Valiant again, heading for Gao 69P.
Gao 69P isn’t a planet. It’s a frozen asteroid that is light years away from any other inhabited planet. “Why did Ragnar pick it?” I ask Zeke once we get underway. “Because it’s in the middle of nowhere?”
“Yes. It’s also a refueling stop on the route from Starra to the Chipwa Sector.” He pulls up a map of the galaxy on his tablet, and zooms in on the asteroid, and reads its key statistics. “Population less than a hundred people,” he says. “Ah, that’s why I’ve heard of it. It’s the site of Barnett’s Folly.”
“Huh?”
“Barnett’s Folly, was, at its opening, the largest amusement park in the galaxy. A vampire named Claude Barnett built it during the reign of Empress Chela. In those days, the route from Starra to Banaras, the Family Clay home planet, was a very busy one. Claude Barnett wanted the park to eventually cover the surface of the asteroid.”
“I’m going to guess that this story doesn’t have a happy ending.”
“It does not,” he agrees. “Ten years after its opening, an earthquake shook Gao 69P. Huge cracks opened up on the surface. Half the rides collapsed. Thankfully, there was a warning system in place, and people were able to evacuate. There were no casualties, but the park was condemned. It’s all still there, sealed off in a dome, slowly falling to bits.”
I can picture it. “That sounds magical. What happened to poor Claude?”
“He didn’t die alone and poor, if that’s what you’re asking. He became a war profiteer.”
“Ugh. My sympathy has evaporated.”
He grins at me, and I smile back. “We should celebrate,” I tell him. “You did something amazing, something pivotal to the battle. You found the missing boarium. That’s huge. You need to soak it in.”
“Not just me,” he protests. “I couldn’t have done it without Tomas.”
I look at him fondly. Zeke is so incredibly good at what he does, but he’s so matter-of-fact and self-effacing about it. He should brag more. Strut around and appreciate the win. “I doubt that. Come on. Where’s the party?”
“Tell you what.” He taps his tablet screen. “Tonight, once we get all the preliminaries underway, let's go see Barnett’s Folly.”
Excitement trickles through me. I know it’s insane to be thinking of amusement parks on the eve of war, but I’m desperately clinging to normalcy in a swiftly changing world. “It's a date.”
With each passing hour, we near Gao 69P. And, by extension, Prince Ragnar.
For the last week, I’ve done my best to put the prince out of my mind, but I can’t avoid thinking about him anymore, and I can’t hide from the truth.
I’m really nervous.
I’d been furious when we found the children on the Ruby Rose. I was shaking with rage. Then, when Ragnar kidnapped me, I impulsively told him that I’d sleep with him if he killed Gerra Clay.
Not even for a second had I thought he’d agree to my terms. How could I have predicted it? Powerful vampires don't kill other powerful vampires in order to have sex with a lowly human.
But Ragnar had called my bluff, and now, the Valiant heads inexorably toward him and my time of reckoning.
When it comes to the prince, my emotions are topsy-turvy. It's not that I’m not attracted to him. I am. But the prince is a perfect stranger to me.
We’ve met three times. The first time, it was at the start point of the Night of the Shayde tournament. He’d talked to Saber that day, but I can’t remember if he addressed me directly.
The second time had been at the Overlord’s banquet, and we’d sat at different tables. Ragnar sat at the head table with all the other important vampires, and I’d been relegated to a back table with the humans.
The third time, he kidnapped me.
It was different with Saber, Zeke, and Nero. I slept with them too soon too, but we’d at least had more than one conversation before I undid my braids. They had taught me how to de
fend myself before the Night of the Shayde. They had taken me out to dinner. Nero had helped me pack. Zeke had told me the truth about who killed my parents. Saber had comforted me through a nightmare. We'd had a chance to form a rudimentary relationship before I jumped into bed with them.
Ragnar is completely different. I’ve watched the tabloids; he has a reputation. He sleeps around. He doesn't commit. He goes through women like most vampires go through blood.
“Hey.” Saber enters the rec room and takes a seat at my side. “I want to talk to you.”
I give him a questioning look. “What about?”
“You’re nervous about Ragnar, aren’t you?”
“You can read my emotions a little too well. It's a little disconcerting.”
“I think the word you’re looking for is sexy,” he corrects. He puts his hand on my thigh. “Listen, I like Ragnar, but he’s not perfect. Neither am I. Before Boarus 4, we hadn’t talked in years. Partly because I jumped to conclusions when he told me to break up with Marya, but also because Ragnar is an arrogant fuck who doesn't explain himself. I shouldn’t have stalked away before asking him why he wanted me to end my relationship. And Ragnar should have found me and explained. Neither of us budged. It was easier to cling onto our pride and our hurt feelings.”
“I can relate to that.” Only too well.
“Ragnar is arrogant. Ragnar is used to getting his own way. Ragnar does not explain himself. It takes some getting used to.”
I open my eyes wide. “I wouldn’t know anything about that…”
His teeth flash in a grin. “Brat. I resent that. I’m not nearly as arrogant as Ragnar.”
They’re far more alike than they think they are. “No, of course not,” I say meekly.
He taps my nose and continues. “People dance to his bidding every day, and you cannot go through more than twenty years of people bowing and scraping to you all while plotting to kill you behind your back without becoming high-handed, cynical, and mistrustful.”
